Introductory Statistics

Statistics is the art and science of using sample data to make generalizations about populations. The purpose of STAT 100 is to help you improve your ability to assess statistical information in both everyday life and other University courses. Toward this end, the course has been designed with 11 lessons, including three examinations.

Statistics is the art and science of using sample data to make generalizations about populations. Students who successfully complete this could should be able to:

  • critically consume statistically-based results reported in popular media, recognizing whether reported results reasonably follow from the study and analysis conducted.
  • recognize questions for which the investigative process in statistics would be useful and should be able to answer questions using the investigative process.
  • produce and interpret graphical displays and numerical summaries.
  • recognize and explain the central role of variability in the field of statistics.
  • recognize and explain the central role of randomness in designing studies and drawing conclusions.
  • use statistical models to address a research question.
  • conduct and interpret the results from hypothesis tests and confidence intervals.
  • use and interpret the results from StatKey and Minitab Express.

This graduate level course provides an introduction to the basic concepts of probability, common distributions, statistical methods, and data analysis. It is intended for graduate students who have one undergraduate statistics course and who wish to review the fundamentals before taking additional 500 level statistics courses. This course is cohort-based, which means that there is an established start and end date, and that you will interact with other students throughout the course.

Upon completion of this course students will:

  • Appreciate and understand the role of statistics in your own field of study.
  • Develop an ability to apply appropriate statistical methods to summarize and analyze data for some of the more routine experimental settings.
  • Make sense of data and be able to report the results in appropriate table or statistical terms for inclusion in your thesis or paper.
  • Perform appropriate statistical techniques using Minitab and interpret the results/outputs.

Users of statistics -- researchers, government agencies like the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, companies like the automakers and drug industry, etc. -- make extensive use of the computer in applying statistical methods to their problems. So will you! You will have plenty of practice in analyzing data from a variety of areas and should be well prepared for problem-solving involving statistics in the rest of your college courses, as well as gaining an understanding of the role of statistics in your daily life.